Brilliant Star Trek vs. Star Wars trick in the New York Times crossword puzzle

In Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle, constructor Stephen McCarthy embedded a wonderful trick centered on the Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate. For the clue "The better of two sci-fi franchises," either answer works. From the Constructor Notes:

I am a fan of both "Star Wars" and "Star Trek," so it's nice to be able to highlight both (not to mention the friendly rivalry between the two fandoms) in one puzzle.